Advocacy, Action, and the Circular Economy: The Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises (HAEE) is one of Hungary’s leading environmental advocacy organisations representing key stakeholders across the environmental industry. Its membership comprises companies, experts, and institutions operating in waste management, water and air quality protection, the circular economy, and advanced green technologies.
Our mission is to build a strong professional community, represent our members’ interests in dialogue with decision-makers, and actively support sustainable economic practices and the development of the circular economy in Hungary.
By joining, you become part of a leading sectoral professional community and knowledge platform, gain the opportunity to shape the sector’s future, stay ahead with first-hand insights into regulatory changes, and participate in key industry events and conferences.
Membership offers valuable business connections, increased visibility, and the opportunity to shape a more sustainable future together.
If you’d like to learn more about membership or how to join, we’re here to help – feel free to reach out to us!
Gergely Hankó
Managing Director, Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises
Tell us about yourself.
I am an environmental engineer and communications specialist with over 20 years of experience in waste management, circular-economy advocacy, and public engagement. Currently, I serve as the Managing Director of the Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises (HAEE) and act as the National Representative for Hungary at ISWA. Our Association is the most significant independent green advocacy NGO in Hungary, representing 285 member organisations across 11 dedicated workgroups. Together with our experts, we work on critical areas such as air quality, the circular economy, remediation, wastewater treatment, and ESG.
Since 2016, I have also been working as the waste expert for the PLASTIC Cup initiative, where I now serve as vice-chair. In this role, I lead policy and field projects targeting riverine and aquatic plastic pollution, coordinate transnational cleanup initiatives, and develop stakeholder-driven co-creation workshops, campaigns, and educational programmes. One of my proudest achievements in this initiative is that 60% of the riverine waste we collect (approximately 70,000 kg) is successfully recycled. I also founded the annual Tisza Roundtables, which have grown into the most extensive forum for river specialists. Our Interreg project, Tid(y)Up, became a flagship project, and our prominent role in Transcarpathia (Ukraine) has significantly elevated the initiative—preventing 2,500 tons of river pollution since 2022 and advancing regional waste management. My selected professional outputs include the GreenIndustry 2026 study book, the Policy Guidance on Tackling Riverine Plastic Pollution in the Danube River Basin (2024), and the Aquatic Plastic Transnational.
River Cleanup Handbook (2022), as well as various national surveys, roundtables on transboundary river pollution, and practical guides for waste and ecological footprint reduction. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience as a spokesperson and media contributor. I am a two-time TEDx speaker and was selected among Hungary’s 25 most influential green experts. My work has also been recognised on a governmental level; in 2024, the Ministry of Energy awarded me the Commemorative Plaque for Our Environment, and in 2015, I received the Otto Herman Innovator Award from the Ministry of Agriculture.
What inspired you to join ISWA, and how has ISWA helped in your career?
HAEE joined ISWA because we believe that the challenges of waste and resource management can only be addressed through strong international cooperation, knowledge exchange, and shared ambition. For us, ISWA is a valuable global platform (and our university as well) that connects national experience with international policy, technical expertise, and practical solutions.
From HAEE’s perspective, the most important areas are the circular economy transition, better governance and planning, stronger financing frameworks, improved traceability of waste and secondary raw materials, the plastic treaty process, river pollution, the shadow waste paradox, and greater recognition of Hungarian expertise. These are all essential for building a realistic and inclusive pathway towards more sustainable resource management.
On a personal level, ISWA has broadened my professional perspective and strengthened my understanding of how national waste challenges are connected to global resource management goals. It has also created valuable opportunities to exchange views with experts (friends!) and practitioners from different countries, which is highly relevant to my work in Hungary, especially in the fields of circularity, riverine pollution, and stakeholder cooperation.
What are the biggest projects/initiatives in waste management that your organisation has achieved so far?
Over the past 34 years, HAEE has continuously supported the development of waste management regulation and sectoral improvement in Hungary through professional advocacy, expert input, and cooperation with policymakers and industry stakeholders. We see this long-term contribution to better regulation and implementation as one of our most important achievements.
At the same time, the most visible results of our work are those in awareness-raising. Through the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), Hungarian participants have submitted hundreds of initiatives over the years, and several project developers have won European awards. Another important milestone is our publication work, including the GreenEconomy2026 volume, which brings together professional knowledge, policy thinking, and practical solutions for a greener and more circular economy.
What are your biggest challenges so far?
The biggest challenge is the lack of transparent coordination, and there are no vested interests behind the circular economy. We really hope that this can change in the short term, because we need to catch up in this area.
Also, Hungary faces two interconnected plastic waste challenges as well:
1. Recycling system constraints: The Hungarian plastics recycling industry is also crucially affected by global trends: rising operational costs and weak economics due to low virgin plastic prices. The ever-changing legislative environment of the last decade and the transition to a 35-year waste management concession, which began 2 years ago, have led to insufficient capacity development and improvements in the collection and recovery of key polymers, further complicated by delayed data reporting. The success of the DRS system introduced last year is a small remedy.
2. Transboundary riverine plastic pollution: Large volumes of plastic (and other) waste enter Hungary via rivers from upstream regions with inadequate waste collection, compounded by flooding, illegal dumping, fragmented governance, and limited cross-border accountability.
In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues in the waste sector that should be addressed today?
The Shadow Waste Paradox and the dark data of waste management show that many materials are flowing in the shadows (illegal dumping, waste trafficking). And if we do not know the actual data and amounts, we cannot establish a sound waste management system for that.
What role do you see ISWA play in driving sustainable practices globally?
In our opinion, ISWA does a lot to advance global sustainability, mainly by setting the agenda, sharing know-how across borders, and fundamentally changing how we view waste. Plastic Treaty talks make sure the politicians are actually listening to the science, so the goals they set aren’t just empty promises, but things we can actually pull off. But it’s not just about high-level talks; they’re also great at connecting people. They take the best ideas from countries with strong circular economies and share them with regions that are still catching up. For us here in the Danube River Basin, being plugged into this network is huge. It lets us see how our own river cleanup programs stack up against global standards, and we get to share our own wins with the world, too. Ultimately, ISWA is trying to change the whole mindset from “just throw it in the landfill” to “how can we keep using this resource?” By giving national groups like HAEE access to the latest data, working groups, and training, they help everyone get on the same page. This kind of global teamwork is exactly what we need to finally fix the waste problem and move together toward a truly green future.
How can ISWA members collaborate more effectively to address shared challenges?
True collaboration relies on transparency. If a national member develops a successful campaign, an effective policy guidance document, or a breakthrough field methodology – such as the cleanup and recycling workflows we established in our riverine plastic initiatives – it should be readily accessible as an open-source blueprint for other members to adapt.
Also, we need to actively connect members from different parts of the value chain. Pairing an operations-focused member with a policy-driven member, or linking established circular economy experts with representatives from transitional regions, enables a direct exchange of practical toolkits. This prevents us from reinventing the wheel and accelerates on-the-ground implementation.
ISWA has an active Young Professionals Group as a special task force. What would be your advice to them, looking to make a difference in the waste sector?
Our first piece of advice is to sometimes step out from behind the desk and get into the field as often as possible. Whether it is visiting a waste sorting facility, participating in a river cleanup, or attending a local municipal planning meeting, the true complexities of resource management are best understood on the ground. Seeing the physical reality of waste – just as we do when tackling transboundary river pollution on the Tisza – gives you a level of credibility, empathy, and practical insight that purely theoretical knowledge simply cannot provide.
Second, learn to be a “translator.” The transition to a circular economy cannot happen in silos; it requires connecting engineers, policymakers, economists, and the general public. If you can communicate complex environmental and technical challenges in a way that resonates with a local mayor just as effectively as it does with a corporate CEO or an everyday citizen, you will be an unstoppable force for change.
Finally, lean on your network. Systemic change can be a slow and sometimes frustrating process, but the shared ambition and collaborative spirit you build right now within the ISWA Young Professionals Group will be your greatest professional asset. Be patient with the process, but relentless in your advocacy.
